The Frostbane Clan
“Vigilance. Patience. Discipline. These are the tools of survival. Each day is a fight against starvation, and each night is a duel with icy death. Greed and lethargy lead to destruction - so share your burdens and your bounties with your fellow men, and hold fast against the withering that comes with the passing of time.” - Bonelord Uthlir, Necromancer. Bold and proud, Clan Frostbane have held fast against famine, disease, insurrection and appropriation. They have stood their ground against those who would seek their destruction, and overcome adversity the likes of which no other Clan has experienced. Perhaps the eldest of the Clans, the Frostbane first settled in what is now their holding at a time where the earth itself was rotten, and the forests held little insofar as game to hunt. They survived from what supplies they had, and desperately sought a solution. Day by day, members of the Clan were growing sickly and frail, and those who passed became restless. When the dusk was at its bleakest, salvation presented itself. The elements themselves manifested and spoke with the Clan – offering the creation of a wondrous, bountiful river in which life would flourish. All they asked in return was that the spirits of the dead were permitted to pass on honourably, so they may be nurtured once more. It was then that the young healer Uthlir stepped forward, asking how such a momentous task would be accomplished. The elements responded; gifting him with knowledge of the dead, forever changing his perspective of the world around him. Uthlir took the mantle of Bonelord, and aided the passing of the restless spirits that once called him brother. Uthlir's brother and Chieftain of the Frostbane, Garron, grew jealous. The Clan revered the Bonelord, for he alone had cleansed the earth of taint and allowed their beloved Clanmates to find peace. Garron travelled east, leaving the Clan in the capable hands of his brother, to search for a way to bring glory to his name and prosperity to the Frostbane. He travelled past the grand tree spirit Anakh, and found the Anuk'Amani. He stayed some time within their dwelling, and a malevolent plot began to take root. Meanwhile, under the leadership of Ulthir, the Clan faced a new threat – those loyal to Garron were growing evermore restless at the situation. While they were grateful for the Bonelord's affinity for spirit-mending, they viewed him as a follower rather than a leader, and the way he operated the Clan displeased them greatly. One night, they took up arms against him. They were utterly crushed. Time passed, and all was well, until the Chieftain returned. Through the manipulations of Garron, the Frostbane were goaded into conflict with a competing clan under the pretence that they were treacherous and sinister, simply waiting for an opportunity to strike – a cruel deception, and a stain on their honour they have yet to rid themselves of. Garron boasted of his alliance with the Anuk'Amani, and claimed the Clan had no choice but to act. Ulthir tried to intervene, but the Chieftain demanded his silence. Honour-bound, the Bonelord said nothing as his people descended upon the Iceblade's village. It took months for the Frostbane to come to terms with the conflict. Bodies were burned, buildings were rebuilt, all the while the Bonelord spoke to no-one save for the spirits of those who perished. A year passed, and Garron's thirst for blood began to come to the surface once more. Rumours spread that he had planned on decimating the inhabitants of Morrigan's Grove next, but he would never get that chance. Bonelord Ulthir flew into a furious rage, and a fight unlike any other erupted as he threw himself at Garron. The Chieftain rose his axe high and snarled, slashing wildly towards his brother. Ulthir, always having been the more nimble one, managed to evade most of the attacks, bringing down his dagger upon the skull of Garron in a vicious stab that echoed throughout the land. His hands seeping with a deep, inky blackness, the Bonelord lifted the Chieftain high into the air with the unrelenting energies of his sorcery, and as light streamed from the eyes of the body it eroded to nought but ash. From that day, until this day, the Bonelord has ruled over Clan Frostbane with unquestionable authority. Category:Clans